Dampening unit for an electric vacuum sweeper bag

ABSTRACT

A dampening unit to reduce dust emission from the sweeper bag for an electrically operated vacuum sweeper, said unit adapted for disposition around the sweeper bag, and comprising an external skeletal network of tubular members depending and connected to a water container located at the top of the sweeper bag, the first of such tubular members being a series of horizontally disposed tubular rings aligned parallel to one another in a succession of imaginary planes intersecting at spaced intervals the central longitudinal and vertical axis of the sweeper bag; the second set of such tubular members being vertically depending tubular connections each of which connect the water container with a respective horizontal tubular member; a third set of finely perforated members which depend vertically downwardly from the horizontal tubular members to carry and disperse water on the sweeper bag; through which tubular connections water placed in the water container can seep downwardly in a controlled manner into the horizontal tubular members and thence into the vertically disposed perforated tubular members to reach the fabric material of the sweeper bag in order to dampen it.

1111 3,815,333 [4 June 11, 1974 [22] Filed:

[ DAMPENING UNIT FOR AN ELECTRIC VACUUM SWEEPER BAG [75] Inventor: AliceE. Rhodes, Toledo, Ohio [73] Assignees: George R. Royer; Gordon M.

Huffman, both of Toledo, Ohio part interest to each June 1, 1973 21Appl. No.: 366,248

[52] U.S. Cl 55/233, 55/374, 55/378 [51] Int. Cl B0ld 47/00 [58] Fieldof Search 55/220, 233, 242, 302,

[56] References Cited 7 UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,691,514 11/1928Dollingcr 55/242 X 1,821,202 9/1931 Birkhol 55/378 X 1,944,976 1/1934Hamilton 55/369 2,057,446 1 /1936 Rathbun 55/382 X 2,165,677 7/1939Ricbel, .lr 55/375 X 2,751,041 6/1956 Cropley 55/375 x 3,535,855 10/1970Howard et al. 55/371 X, 3,745,751 7/1973 Zey et al 423/522 X PrimaryExaminer-Dennis E. Talbert, Jr. Attorney, Agent, or Firm-George R. Royer5 7] ABSTRACT A dampening unit to reduce dust emission from the sweeperbag for an electrically operated vacuum sweeper, said unit adapted fordisposition around the sweeper bag, and comprising an external skeletalnetwork of tubular members depending and connected to a water containerlocated at the top of the sweeper bag, the first of such tubular membersbeing a series of horizontally disposed tubular rings aligned parallelto one another in a succession of imaginary planes intersecting atspaced intervals the central longitudinal and vertical axis of thesweeper bag; the second set of such tubular members being verticallydepending tubular connections each of which connect the water containerwith a respective horizontal tubular member; a third set of finelyperforated members which depend vertically downwardly from thehorizontal tubular members to carry and disperse water on the sweeperbag; through which tubular connections water placed in'the watercontainer can seepdow nwardly in a controlled manner into the horizontaltubular members .and thence into the vertically disposed perforatedtubular members to reach the fabric material of the sweeper bag in orderto dampen it.

1 Claim, 1 Drawing Figure BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Electricallyoperated vacuum sweepers are a common appliance in most households.Their usage and ability to pick up dirt has been an immense help tohousewives. However, the efficiency of such vacuum sweepers is hamperedby the fact that the sweeper bag is not capable of holding all air thatenters the bag because of the very fabric material of which it is constructed. Of course, in the operation of electric vacuum sweepers it isimperative that some air pass through the fiber of the bag in order toobviate the bag bursting from a continuous input of air. As aconsequence, of this material feature and resultant leakage, some dustladen air will escape from the sweeper bag during sweeping operationsand contaminate the air in the room surrounding the sweeper. In manycases, this is not only'detracts from the efficiency of the sweeper, andin addition, causes. more dust to fall back onto the carpet or otherarea being swept. Under such latter described conditions, a problem ofcleanliness as well as a health problem can result with inefficientsweeper usage. The exact amount of dust which infiltrates back into theair depends on the nature of the sweeper. Certain sweepers have beenconceived which do not use a bag, using instead a water filter system.Such sweepers have proven to be efficient but cumbersome in opera tion.This invention is thusly conceived to be used around those machineswhich utilize the bag type structure. More particularly, this inventionis conceived to provide a mechanical arrangement whereby dust isinhibited and blocked as the expelled air passes from the sweeper baginto the room while the electric vacuum sweeper is being operated.

In view of the foregoing, it is an object of this invention to providean improved system for vacuum sweepers by which air is filtered moreefficiently;

Still another object of this invention is to provide a humidifyingsystem for cleaning the air emitted through the sweeper bag of anelectric vacuum sweeper;

It is yet another object of this invention to provide an improvedelectric vacuum sweeper;

Other and further objects will become apparent from the descriptiontaken in conjunction with the following drawing:

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING The sole FIGURE is a perspective view of theskeletal apparatus in the preferred embodiment as it is shown fittedover a vacuum sweeper bag.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The invention is a skeletal memberadapted to be covered around a sweeper bag for an upright, electricallyoperated vacuum sweeper, being comprised basically of a network ofhollow tubular members capable of carrying water from a cylindricallyshaped water container located at the top of the sweeper bag. The firstseries of the tubular network members are vertically depending tubularmembers, the internal cavities of which communicate directly to theinterior of the members in turn connects with one of a series ofhorizontally disposed tubular members; each of which lies parallel toanother in a series of planes intersecting the central longitudinal andvertical axis of the sweeper bag. Depending downwardly and verticallyfrom each horizontal tubular member are a plurality of tubular memberswhich are perforated communicating with the internal passage of eachhorizontal tubular ring. These vertically depending tubular members areperforated with timely drawn holes so that water may seep in mi nutelymeasured quantities from the horizontal tubular members onto the sweeperbag itself thereby dampening the bag.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to the drawing inwhich a preferred embodiment is shown, an upright electrically operatedvacuum sweeper 10 is shown. Sweeper 10 has a vertically extending dustcollection bag 12 of cloth or fiberglass material which is attached to avertically upright handle 14. Sweeper bag 12 is aligned in asubstantially parallel manner to the central and vertically extendingaxis of the handle shaft 16, as shown in FIG. 1. Inserted over sweeperbag 12 is a tubular skeletal member 18 comprised of a network ofwater-carrying tubular members and which skeletal member extendslongitudinally over the entire length of the bag 12.

Skeletal member 18 is comprised of an enclosed water container 20 of theshape of a cylindrical spool. Container 20 has an opening 22 adapted fora screw cap 24 in its upper surface for pouring water into the inside ofcontainer 20. A centrally located hole 26 communicates from the upper tothe lower surface of water container 20 and is of sufficient size toallow for the insertion therethrough of the upper neck portion 28 ofsweeper bag 12 so that a hook 30 can be snapped to the top of the neck28 as shown. By this arrangement the upper part of the sweeper bag 12will rest against the lower surface of water container 20.

Container 22 has a series of vertically depending tubular members 34which communicate with the interior of the water-container and releaseand carry water down wardly from container 20. These tubular mem bersare arranged in a circumferential manner around the periphery of thelower surface of the container 20. The first-such tubular member 34Aleads to a horizontally disposed ring 36A, while the second such tubularmember 34A leads to a second horizontally disposed tubular member 36B,which latter horizontally disposed ring 368 which is next and lower inheight succession from'horizontal ring 36A. Each such horizontallytubular ring is thusly connected to a vertically disposed tubular member34 communicating by its respective internal passages with the horizontaltubes. The respective horizontally disposed tubular members 36 arethusly arranged in a series of imaginary planes which intersect atspaced intervals relative to the vertically extending longitudinal axisof the sweeper bag 12.

From each horizontal ring 36 there are depending perforated tubes 38which serve to spread water by fine perforations therein onto thesweeper bag dampening it to help collect dust. Water container 20 isreleased by an appropriate trigger valve operated by the personoperating the sweeper and water will pass from this container into therespective tubes passing water to the bag and dampening the sweeper bag.

The foregoing description is not intended to limit the ery of thesweeper bag; scope of the following claims. 3. a series of horizontalcircular tubular members What is claimed is: connected to the verticallyextending tubular meml. A dampening unit for a sweeper for fitting overa bers by internal chambers which horizontal tubular verticallyextending sweeper bag for an electrical vac- 5 members extend around theouter periphery of the uum sweeper bag comprising a: sweeper bag;

1. a water container affixed to the top of the sweeper 4. verticallydepending perforated tubes extending bag; from the horizontal tubularmembers and venting 2. vertically depending tubes extending from theinto the outer periphery of the sweeper bag.

water container and surrounding the outer periph- 0

1. A dampening unit for a sweeper for fitting over a verticallyextending sweeper bag for an electrical vacuum sweeper bag comprisinga:
 1. a water container affixed to the top of the sweeper bag; 2.vertically depending tubes extending from the water container andsurrounding the outer periphery of the sweeper bag;
 3. a series ofhorizontal circular tubular members connected to the verticallyextending tubular members by internal chambers which horizontal tubularmembers extend around the outer periphery of the sweeper bag; 4.vertically depending perforated tubes extending from the horizontaltubular members and venting into the outer periphery of the sweeper bag.2. vertically depending tubes extending from the water container andsurrounding the outer periphery of the sweeper bag;
 3. a series ofhorizontal circular tubular members connected to the verticallyextending tubular members by internal chambers which horizontal tubularmembers extend around the outer periphery of the sweeper bag; 4.vertically depending perforated tubes extending from the horizontaltubular members and venting into the outer periphery of the sweeper bag.